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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fall — the season
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. present — there
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com